COUP

04.01.12

Mali Rebels Surround Timbuktu

Rebecca Blackwell / AP Photo

Tuareg rebels in Mali said Sunday that they have surrounded the ancient city of Timbuktu, the last major government holdout in the north. This after fighters—who want a homeland for the nomadic Tuareg people—made a rapid advance in that part of the country, taking advantage of the chaos surrounding last week’s coup in the faraway capital of Bamako. Demoralized troops appear to be fleeing the city.